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Jedda Gondiwindi
Eddie Falstaff is a White man whose family leases the land on which Prosperous House sits. He lives at Southerly House, across the wheat fields from the Gondiwindis. When he was younger, Eddie was close friends with August and Joey Gondiwindi. He and August had a brief romantic entanglement which ended when Joey was placed in juvenile detention and August left Australia. Ten years later, Eddie is eager to rekindle his romance with August when she returns home for Albert’s funeral. Despite his rapport with the Gondiwindis, Eddie resents being left to care for the farm in his parents’ absence and reaches out to the Rinepalm mining company, even knowing they will also take Elsie and Albert’s farm. Despite his intense guilt for the atrocities committed against Aboriginal Australians on his family’s land and for his father’s theft of Aboriginal artifacts, Eddie refuses to protest the mine’s expansion alongside August, prioritizing his personal comfort over her family’s agency.
Eddie Falstaff Quotes in The Yield
The The Yield quotes below are all either spoken by Eddie Falstaff or refer to Eddie Falstaff. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 11 Quotes
What exactly she was looking for in the book, she couldn’t be sure. She felt, though, that Poppy had known something, had something to tell her. August felt that it was only he who had understood why she’d left without a word, yet he wouldn’t have himself left without a goodbye. She felt that her poppy had been the only one, unspoken as it was, who knew why she’d never stayed.
The book was second to food when August was little, then the book took the lead. […] But in every mobile-library book, she could never find herself or her sister. Never a girl like August and Jedda Gondiwindi, not ever.
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After Eddie tells August about the book Albert was writing, she returns to Prosperous to search for it. In this passage, August ponders why it suddenly feels so critical that she locate the unknown book. Part of her reasons that she hopes Poppy’s final words might bring her some closure in light of his death. She feels “that Poppy had known something, had something to tell her.” Though Eddie never said the book referenced August, she hopes her grandfather has left some kind of message for her. Specifically, August yearns for someone in her family to have understood “why she’d Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis.
Chapter 26 Quotes
“What’s animism?”
“When you believe that the earth—and all living things—are alive with ancestors, with spirits.”
“Is that what you believe?”
She looked at the book. “I think so.”
“Why’d your pop have it, you reckon?”
She smiled widely, “I think he was trying to save the farm.”
“How would he have done that, you think?”
“Dunno, reckon he was trying to explain how the land is special?” Eddie raised his eyebrows for August to go on. “I just remember how much he loved, truly loved, the land, the property.”
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Eddie visits Prosperous and finds August going through Albert’s overdue library books, including one on animism. As August describes it, animism closely aligns with Albert’s belief that everything living possesses a spirit and human ancestors are present in nature. Sensing Jedda’s spirit in the brolga at Albert’s memorial has heightened August’s own connection to her Aboriginal ancestors’ land. As a result, she finds herself agreeing with her grandfather’s beliefs here. While Eddie’s questions seem benign here, they hint at his derision for religion, both Christianity and Aboriginal belief systems. August’s discovery of Albert’s library book collection strengthens her belief that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possim
Chapter 29 Quotes
“You hate religion—that’s original. What about all the churches and paintings and poetry?”
“What about all the wars?”
“I’m having déjà vu. I think I’ve had this conversation a hundred times and I still think humans would have warred and slaughtered each other with or without religion.”
“Over land?” he turned and looked at her with a gravity, but also a question. He moved back to the bookshelf. “Or race wars?”
“Yeah, and even if we all had the same skin tone, it’d be language, and then even if we spoke the same language, it’d be eye shape, nose length, people with thick hair…”
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Eddie brings up August and Albert’s belief in animism again before remarking that he hates all religion because it doesn’t change anything. August’s responds that she and Eddie have “had this conversation a hundred times,” presumably when they were teenagers. Her sardonic tone when she says “that’s original” indicates she doesn’t think Eddie’s perspective is valid. Though her own spirituality has just begun to take root, August cites religion’s cultural contributions to “churches and paintings and poetry,” perhaps because she feels the need to defend Albert’s beliefs. In response, Eddie blames religion for causing war. Contextually, it’s safe to assume Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui
Chapter 33 Quotes
She was trying to figure out how people valued a thing, what made something revered while other things were overlooked. Who decided what was out with the old, what had to have a replacement? What traditions stayed and what tools, household items, art, things, evidence of someone, languages, fell away. But when she tried to draw a vague line to the artifacts of Prosperous she was stumped—why the artifacts of Middlesbrough were important and not those from home.
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Driving to the museum, August recalls her trip to Hadrian’s Wall near Middlesbrough in England—a wall built by invading Romans. Then and now, she contemplates “how people valued a thing, what made something revered while other things were overlooked.” Here, August notes that historical artifacts don’t necessarily provide a full and unbiased picture of ancient life, only what people considered valuable enough to preserve. While evidence of Roman civilization remains, the habits and lifestyles of local people they replaced have been essentially wiped from the record. In the same way, much of the physical evidence of Aboriginal Australian culture has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus poss
Chapter 35 Quotes
August wanted to hand the papers back and to tell them everything, draw them close and whisper that their lives had turned out wrong, that she and her family were meant to be powerful, not broken, tell them that something bad happened before any of them was born. Tell them that something was stolen from a place inland, from the five hundred acres where her people lived. She wanted to tell them that the world was all askew and she thought it was because of the artifacts, that she thought they should understand it was all so urgent now, that they knew truths now, to tell them that she wasn’t extinct, that they didn’t need the exhibition after all.
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At the museum, August asks staff for help reclaiming the artifacts stolen from her family’s land. Rather than apologizing for the theft and returning the Gondiwindi artifacts immediately (as might be considered appropriate), they instruct August to book a viewing of the collection. August silently accepts their forms but really wants “to tell them everything” about the Gondiwindis’ historical oppression and their current struggle to save their homeland. So close to the cultural evidence that might save Prosperous, August feels convinced that “she and her family were meant to be powerful […] that something bad happened before any of them Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam dolor
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Eddie Falstaff Character Timeline in The Yield
The timeline below shows where the character Eddie Falstaff appears in The Yield. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 11
...became strange to her. Elsie is still asleep. August drinks coffee outside, where she encounters Eddie Falstaff—heir of nearby Southerly House and her childhood sweetheart. Eddie’s family, who own the farm’s...
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...the produce before she moves out. She confirms what August has heard from Elsie and Eddie: the company is taking the land to mine tin. Eddie’s family’s government lease is expired,...
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Chapter 14
August buys a toothbrush from the renovated pharmacy, which Eddie’s family owned before it burned down. She visits the Aboriginal Medical Centre and Land Council...
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...so, she thinks there’s nothing they can do to stop Rinepalm from taking the land. Eddie and everyone else in town are looking forward to the jobs the mine will create....
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Chapter 17
...visits Southerly House, which has always been nicer that Prosperous—a sign of the Falstaffs’ wealth. Eddie greets her and remarks that she looks different. August feels self-conscious and strange in her...
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Chapter 19
...In the entry for dyirribang (“old man”), he reflects on how neither he nor Falstaff (Eddie’s father) ever owned their land. Nevertheless, Albert is grateful to a local librarian, Julie, who...
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Chapter 20
...had a funeral for her. August goes outside to smoke, where Aunt Missy is telling Eddie about how Albert used to take her and her sisters—Jolene and Nicki—eel fishing. She remembers...
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...sitting on government land, which would now be repossessed. August asks if Joey talks to Eddie, recalling their childhood friendship. Joey reports they’re friendly but blames Eddie for getting him sent...
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Chapter 26
After the funeral, someone carries August to her attic bedroom. When she is done crying, Eddie brings wine and they return to the field, where the family is dancing. August sleeps...
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...against it. Feeling more at home than before, she finds a bike and rides toward Eddie’s house. Eddie claims she danced wildly at the funeral, but August doesn’t remember. The two...
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Eddie stops by and asks about one book featuring animism, the belief that everything on earth...
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Eddie rides a dirt bike out to August. They ride around the fields to the stables....
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Chapter 29
After packing some things in Prosperous House, August visits Eddie at Southerly. She wants to discuss her hope of saving the farm, despite the mines’...
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Eddie asks if August really expected Jolene to show up for Albert’s funeral. August has realized...
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Part of August wants to stay with Eddie and find a way to stop the mines. She confesses she doesn’t know who she...
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Chapter 33
Back at Prosperous, Aunt Missy and Elsie are packing boxes. August tells Missy privately about Eddie’s father donating Aboriginal artifacts to the museum. She doesn’t want to worry Elsie. Later, August...
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Chapter 35
Approaching the information desk, August asks about her family’s artifacts, showing the clerk Eddie’s cards. Though the curator’s assistant and researchers easily locate the items in the database, they...
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Chapter 37
...back inside Prosperous while Joey and August look across the burning wheat fields. August sees Eddie alongside police and firemen working to douse the blaze. The protesters are silhouettes fleeing from...
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August finds Eddie, who apologizes for his behavior. Ignoring him, August asks which aunt put her to bed...
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Chapter 39
...outside the council office. Joey threatens to drive off without her, just like she and Eddie left him at the pharmacy when they were kids. August returns to the car and...
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...declares himself and August “custodians of the land.” The protesters cheer. A few hours later, Eddie comes outside, irritated by August and Joey’s participation in the protest. Joey says the mine...
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Chapter 41
...has recorded himself pronouncing various Wiradjuri words, leaving behind a precious artifact of Aboriginal culture. Eddie moves away. August knows there’s nothing more to say between them.
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